Western Pacific Naval Symposium

The Western Pacific Naval Symposium are a series of biennial meetings of the Pacific nations to discuss naval matters held on even numbered years. A WPNS workshop is held on odd numbered years in between the symposiums.^[1]

History

At the International Seapower Symposium in 1987 agreement was reached "to establish a forum where leaders of regional navies could meet to discuss cooperative initiatives". The first meeting was held in 1988.^[2]

Member countries as of 2010: Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, France, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, People's Republic of China, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, United States of America, Vietnam. Observers: Bangladesh, India, Mexico, Peru, The United Kingdom.^[3]

At the 2014 WPNS, agreement was reached on the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea.^[4]

References

1. WPNS WORKSHOP 2013
2. "Fact Sheet: Background of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium, MCMEX, DIVEX and NMS". www.mindef.gov.sg. Ministry of Defence (Singapore). 25 March 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
3. "File Not Found".
4. "Member nations of Western Pacific Naval Symposium in China agree to maritime code of conduct". ABC News. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2015.